Huna Article

Huna International

A Kokua Group In Action
by Peg Buckley

I ho'okahi ka umauma, ho'okahi ke aloha.
(All united in harmony and love.)

In his book Urban Shaman (page 248), Serge King defines Kokua as a Hawaiian word meaning "help, assistance, cooperation." Here is the story of one Kokua group and how it came to be.

In February, 1999 I started "Meditation for Global Healing and Peace" at the Hawaiian Art Museum on Kauai. We meet at 7 each Monday evening and to my amazement and delight, our group (six of us make up the core community) has evolved from a meditation to a kokua community.

Each week before we meet, I connect with the elements for inspiration. What came in several weeks ago was a strong emphasis on each person's project and the need to watch it evolve over the next seven weeks. When we gathered that evening, each one of us stated an intention for healing or peace and made a commitment to focus on it and share the results at the next session. (We did a shamanic journey to the island of Healing and Reconciliation and brought in a symbol for our project. This is something in our everyday lives that serves as a reminder to us that we are working with intention.)

This is a brief format of our sessions:
1. We gather and pass the talking stick to share our names and something wonderful that has happened in our lives during the past week (few days; few hours). This is helpful to the strangers who join us just for that evening.

2. We then read from books that have universal messages: open to a page and the inspiration leaps out to you .

3. We pass the talking stick again and share our project, the symbol for it and what we have observed since we met the week before.

4. We then journey with the intention to change the way situations exist to a new dream filled with healing and peace. (This part of the evening usually lasts about ten minutes.)

5. After we return to the present time and place, each one of shares our journey with the group.

Our projects are not complex. They include healing global communication, freedom from guilt, personal freedom for all people; joy for the children of the earth; freedom from addictions; and healthy living conditions for all whales and dolphins. On November 21st, we will have a ritual to celebrate our projects and the next week we will start over again, either with the same or a new project.

If you want to start a group, need help with one that already exists or just want to make a connection, please e-mail me at pegb@aloha.net.

In the meantime,
A hui hou,
Peg Buckley
Hau'oli-mau

Copyright Huna International 1999